HD Notebook

On a recent trip to Minnesota, I visited several farms that were in the process of bringing the next generation into the family business or contemplating starting the process. The farms varied greatly in cow numbers (100 to 1,500 cows), philosophy, and facilities, but they all shared one common goal. Read more

The FFA is one of the nation’s premier youth organizations and agriculture is blessed to have the organization training future leaders in our industry. The Washington Leadership Conference, one of the FFA's cornerstone programs, kicked off its annual series earlier this month. Read more

The arrest of several undocumented workers at a Colorado dairy farm almost two weeks ago and similar events in recent years has brought the issue of labor to the forefront in the dairy industry. Politicians have also been paying attention to the issue of undocumented workers and immigration reform, and related legislation is being pushed in many states including Arizona, Utah, and Georgia. Read more

Summer starts next week, but milk prices are already sizzling… much to our continued pleasant surprise.

Throughout January, February, and March we watched with some dismay as Class III price futures jumped at the CME for virtually all months during 2011, projecting out to an annual average in the low-$16-per-hundredweight range in mid-January. Read more

U.S. dairy exports are on the upswing, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service’s Summary of U.S. Dairy Exports released June 9, 2011. During the February to April 2011 time period, exports of dry ingredients (milk powder, whey, lactose), cheese, and butterfat were 394,581 tons. Read more

Most June dairy celebrations have come and gone, but June Dairy Month still has 15 days to go. Are you finding ways to celebrate, educate, or at least partake in three servings of dairy each day? Read more

When summer arrives, we know how warm and uncomfortable we can become. We look forward to the shade of a big oak tree, a chance to have lunch in an air-conditioned home, or the feel of the breeze on our face as we drive a fast-moving tractor in the open air. Dairy cattle also feel the heat but rely on us to make them more comfortable. Read more